Three stars - and all from Michelin of

Restaurant Haute couture

the famous French cook Bernard Loizeo committed

In February, 2003 suicide when it was reached by rumors that his widely known restaurant Coete d`Or in the city of Saulieu (Burgundy) in the following release of “The red guide“ Michelin will be noted not by three but only two stars.

Receiving a mishlenovsky star can mean fantastic rise of popularity and success of restaurant; its loss can turn back the tragedy? What stands behind a strange and proud mention of mishlenovsky stars? Who and how appropriates them? Why the relation to a mishlenovsky rating of gastronomic institutions became almost religion?

Much of us the Michelin company is familiar to

on the white little man put from car tires and similar not on a turtle of the ninjia, not on the become stupid Egyptian mummy. Yes, mishlenovsky stars are appropriated thereby Michelin`om which trades in car tires worldwide. The little man as an emblem of the company appeared in 1898, and call him Bibendum (Bibendum, from Latin expression of “Nunc bibendum“ - “We will drink now!“ ), that means that tires had to “drink“ the road and make a trip smooth.

Andree Michelin`s

, the founder of a bus company, was the great manipulator. He thought up an original marketing mix for stimulation of sales of the production and in 1900 published the first avtomobilno - the gastronomic guide to restaurants of France. The task of the guide was modest: to help the rich, it is “correct“ to the people gastronomic focused to choose restaurants during autotravel. Calculation consisted that the description of “passing“ restaurants will induce tourists to travel more on the car around Europe and consequently, to buy more tires. It is simple how all ingenious. It is possible to argue whether it was succeeded to stimulate thus purchase of tires, but the book became the gastronomic bible. It is the fact indisputable.

Michelin simplified system of coordinates at the choice of restaurant to primitive. Only three stars. And the simplest instruction.

according to the guide, the restaurant possessing three stars deserves a special trip. Kitchen, wine, situation, service and account (!) will be at the exclusive level (children usually are not recommended to be taken in three-star institutions). It is possible to get to some restaurants with three stars only by appointment, and it is necessary to register in one or one and a half months.

Two stars indicate

that the restaurant deserves favorable attention even if it is a little far from your route. The kitchen and service will be first-class if not to tell ideal.

One star means that if the restaurant met on your way, you should visit him. One-stars restaurants guarantee high quality kitchen in the pleasant atmosphere.

it Means that beyond the scope of a mishlenovsky rating there are no refined restaurants with delightful kitchen? Certainly, no. And the mishlenovsky guide warns “users“ against prejudice against “not rating“ institutions, noting at the same time that it the restaurants topped with Michelin`s stars is a luxury while just refined institutions with magnificent kitchen - urgent daily need?

the Guide has no right for a mistake. Its reputation is almost faultless. Even the “anniversary“ scandal of 2000 connected with increase in number of three-stars restaurants, “unexpected“ for experts, from 20 to 22 pieces could not shake its position. The good mark cannot be received neither on friendship, nor for money.

of Criteria for evaluation of restaurants, allegedly, 14, but they keep secretly in order to avoid speculation and imitation of signs of “stardom“ by restaurants. Only the most obvious - public recognition of an institution, service and, certainly, kitchen are known.

By the way, guides never designate the prices. Any “from“?. And the more so any “to“? Only practical experience prompts that the menu at restaurant with one star will cost 25 - 75 euros for the person, at restaurant with two stars - 55 - 240 euros, and at restaurant with three stars as it is easy to guess, 85 - 350 euros for the person. Apparently, running start very serious. Stars mark not necessarily the most expensive restaurants. But surely the best.

the Standard mishlenovsky guide is modest

by sight. It is the strong book of a format slightly more, than A5 reminding the psalter. Minimum of pictures, any advertizing. But there is faultlessly exact and extremely volume information updated annually: excerpts from “visitors` books“, information from independent experts and a number of reductions and pictograms. To the beginner not familiar with system of designations, it is necessary to sweat to understand a heap of “conventional signs“. But experts claim that if the person at least once does this deshifrovalny work, him seriously to take any other guides any more not butut.

Red or green Having begun

with

with gastronomic guides, after Michelin expanded this fascinating subject, and now lets out them two types: The “Red guides“ devoted to hotels and restaurants and the “Green guides“ which are in details describing natural and historical sights.

by

Annually publish 12 “Red“ guides to gastronomic sights of Europe, including separate routes across France, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Great Britain. For the unclear reasons there is no “A red Austria guide“ (is only “Green“). The volume of information which is contained in one reference book leaves far behind all competitors:“ The red guide“, devoted to Germany, describes about 2500 cities and about 10 000 hotels and restaurants!

And “Green“ reference books do not lag behind. On each city included in the guide, Michelin offers rich reference information: post and telephone codes, height above sea level, the number of inhabitants, the number of places in hotels, information on tourist office, features of alpine skiing slopes and golf - fields, features of expositions of the local museums, antiquity and history of locks etc., etc. The average guide contains up to 150 city cards on which hotels and restaurants, the main tourist sights and architectural monuments are designated. Information on distances between the cities is separately provided. The special attention is paid to the description of the most interesting events.

is closer than

to Michelin

Unfortunately, there are no guides of Michelin in Russian. They are published in French and English, and they cannot almost be found in Russia. But these reference books are extremely popular in Western Europe and are on sale everywhere. But mishlenovsky service is available to us in a network: on a web - the website Michelin, and it is possible to find cards, originators of routes, modern transport information, weather forecasts... Viamichelin resource. co. uk“> www. viamichelin. co. uk covers 43 European countries and allows drivers to plan routes from one city to another, to check road maps, to regularly look through information on the carried-out roadwork, change of access control in difficult mountainous areas and underground tunnels... Generally, Michelin “always with you“. By the way, it is possible to hope that the mishlenovsky guide will appear also in Russia: in 2005 in our country release of automobile tires of the Michelin and Kleber brands will begin. You look, and this fact will rouse heads of Michelin to creation of the guide to the European part of Russia?

the Example of the menu of restaurant Tackerey`s, London, 2 * according to Michelin:

of Snack

of $32 of the Canape from a fresh salmon with a lemon and a clove garlic, creamy mousse with a fried celery. Zaychatin`s with truffles on a slice of fried bread. Paste from a duck liver with chicory salad with a Roquefort cheese.

Main courses

the Fried shovel of a lamb in a pot with lavender risotto and boiled vegetables in red wine sauce - $72 Fried fillet of a red mullet, with haricot and wild mushrooms. Spiny lobsters and American sauce ravioli - $68 Fillet of the Scottish Wellington beef with wild mushrooms and black truffle sauce - $77 the Baked halibut in crackers with saffron-yellow potatoes in creamy sauce - $60 Fried fillet of a salmon with spinach, with a smoked salmon and a squid - $64

Desserts

of $37 the Rhubarb with yogurt ice cream Lemon pie the French and British cheeses Coconut fondant from the white chocolate White chocolate pie Banana ice cream with bitter chocolate and banana mousse